Make Money With Articles – Direct Linking Strategies

      You can make money with articles. Just write articles and submit them to article directories online.

      Sounds simple enough.

      However, when you actually start writing you realize there is a little more to it.

      For many people writing articles is easy. The problem comes in when you are trying to get paid to write articles.

      Anyone who pays to have articles written for them doesn’t want to pay you much. As a writer you need to write articles for people who will pay you a commission for any sales you generate for them. This is called affiliate marketing.

      The idea of writing a good article and getting commissions for years afterwards is appealing. And, it’s real. Writing articles is the most effective way to build a solid business online.

      But you do need to consider a few other things.

      First, there is the marketing angle. What do you write about, what do you promote, how do you get lots of people to read your article, and finally, how do you get people to click your affiliate link and buy stuff so you get paid?

      This article will discuss only the part about making money with articles. Other topics are covered in detail in other articles on this site.

      When your goal is to get paid to write articles, you have to consider how much you can accomplish in a short article. Do you have enough space in your article that you can convince your prospect to buy right away? Are you a capable enough writer that you can get people interested enough in the product that they will click on the affiliate link in your article then go to the sales letter and buy right away?

      Most writers have found that they have a very low closing rate with direct linking an article to a sales page.

      They are not able to pre-sell the product enough that a prospect will be ready to react positively with a direct link to a salesletter.

      With this in mind, most writers like to build some credibility for themselves by providing solid information in their article then tempting people to click on a link for more information.

      In order to get more information they have to opt-in an email list. Once someone is on your email list you can build a relationship of trust. Because your reader trusts you, he/she will be willing to believe you when you recommend buying something. You will make far more money by developing a good list rather than simply trying to close a sale without the relationship building process.

      But building a relationship takes time. You may need to make some money quickly. You may need to make money with article marketing right now…not six months from now.

      Here are some strategies that others have found to work when you are trying to make with article marketing with direct linking to a sales page:

1.       Since you don’t have the space in an article to properly build the credibility of a product from scratch, write about well known products.
2.       Write about actual physical products, not information products. Manufacturers spend a lot of time and money branding physical products. Leverage off their products and write about a well known, solidly branded physical product.
3.       If at all possible, try to find the product at Amazon.com. Amazon.com is a well known and trusted source of products, as well as books. They have an affiliate program you can sign up for in minutes.
4.       When you write the article, use the testimonials and comments people write at the bottom of an Amazon.com product page. Testimonials in your article will add hugely to your recommendation. More people will click on your link.
5.       Focus your article around buying keywords. These are the keywords people search with when they are ready to buy.
6.       Put the link to the product page as close to the top as possible.
7.       Have the affiliate link on the page at least two times, if possible.
8.       Don’t stuff the keyword or affiliate link in the article so much that your article loses credibility. It is generally considered good practice to not have more than three links in an article.
9.       This is a biggie: Use your article to show how the product will solve a problem. Target a problem that causes emotional pain, if at all possible (like a diet pill).
10.       Now, if you think you can write one article and you will make a bunch of money, you won’t. No matter what the hype artists say when they are trying to sell you their how to get rich courses!

      All this sounds like a lot of work but it is worth it. If you do all of the above steps you should start to make some money fairly quickly. Better yet, if you really get behind this project, don’t be surprised if you get a check in the mail on a regular basis long after you have forgotten how much work you put into it!

      Since you are direct linking to the sales page you are not looking for back-links to your website. With this in mind, use a redirect set up through your own domain name.

      You need to clearly understand that you will make far more money by directing people to a landing page and building an email list. By redirecting people through your own domain, you are leaving the possibility open for you to build and email list at a later date if you want.

      Other reasons why you should use a redirect link: The vendor may withdraw the product or change affiliate program so you may not want to promote it anymore. Your sales page may not convert. You may decide on another strategy that you haven’t thought of yet.

      It is possible to make money with articles with direct linking, without the need for a landing page. However, if you can, and have the patience to build a relationship with people, you will make more money with the same number of articles. You will also get repeat sales from the people who have learned to trust your judgement on your email list.

      My advice is to try making money with articles using direct linking using the above principles. If it doesn't work, use a squeeze page with email follow-ups and you’ll be rich.       For a comprehensive course on how to make money with articles click here.